What It's Like To Be Me

Following the Footsteps of a Developmentally Disabled Child – an Educational Pathway to Greater Understanding

This educational channel will be a key step in a community outreach program to educate the public on what life is like for a child with disabilities. To build a greater understanding, life with a disability will unfold through the eyes of a child. Each educational vignette, or short story, will feature a specific disability and you will “step into the shoes” of the child. You will see, hear, and feel what it is like to be that particular child – the sounds, colors, perception, limitations, and emotions that are involved in day-to-day living with a particular disability.

The series of vignettes will touch upon the challenges faced by children with specific disabilities such as autism, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, mental retardation, physical handicaps, and behavioral, emotional and psychiatric disorders. The vignettes will be developed with the assistance of staff physicians, therapists, and psychologists to provide insight into what everyday life is like for these children. By creating a greater understanding of the disabled, we will build acceptance and compassion toward these individuals.